Mizoram assembly Speaker resigned to contest on BJP ticket

way2barak, Oct 11 : Ahead of the November 7 assembly polls, in a setback for the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), Mizoram assembly Speaker Lalrinliana Sailo on Wednesday resigned from his post and assembly membership and said that he would join the BJP to contest the forthcoming elections.

Sailo submitted his resignation letter to the Assembly Deputy Speaker H. Biakzaua and requested him to accept it.

After stepping down from the Speaker’s post, the 64-years-old veteran MNF leader said that he would soon join the BJP and contest the November 7 assembly polls on a saffron party ticket.

“I would also quit the MNF party and join the BJP for the all round development of Mizoram. As BJP is now at the Central government, Mizoram needs support and funding from the Union government,” Sailo told the media.

The ruling MNF last month finalised candidates for all the 40 assembly seats but the party denied tickets to Sailo triggering his annoyance.

The Congress turned MNF leader elected to the assembly four times from the Chalfilh assembly constituency.

BJP sources confirmed that Sailo would be inducted into the Saffron party on Thursday.

With this eight MLAs, including two MNF, quit the Assembly this month.

Five independent MLAs in Mizoram resigned from the Assembly on Tuesday in line with technical formalities to contest the November 7 elections as nominees of the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), the northeastern state’s main opposition party.

All the five MLAs originally belonged to the ZPM but contested the 2018 Assembly as independents as the ZPM was not a registered political party by the Election Commission at that time.

As the five Independents MLAs are now going to contest the November 7 assembly elections as candidates of ZPM, which is now a registered party, they are liable to be disqualified if they do not resign, an assembly official said.

Their leader Lalduhoma was elected in a by-poll in 2021 as ZPM candidate and does not require to resign, the official said adding that the five legislators are now able to file nominations on the ZPM tickets.

Earlier this month Congress MLA K. T. Rokhaw and former minister and MNF MLA K. Beichhua had resigned.

Rokhaw has already joined the ruling MNF and Beichhua joined the BJP and they will contest from Palak and Siaha Assembly constituencies respectively.

Beichhua, who had resigned from the Chief Minister Zoramthanga-led ministry on December 13 last year, was expelled by the MNF from the party in January this year.

The ZPM won 8 seats in 2018 Assembly polls but lost two seats in subsequent by-polls while retaining the Serchhip seat in 2021 by polls.